As one of the methods for synthesizing liquid fuels from natural gas, a GTL (Gas to Liquids: liquid fuel synthesis) technique of reforming natural gas to produce synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide gas (CO) and hydrogen gas (H2) as the main components, synthesizing liquid hydrocarbons as a hydrocarbon compound by the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction (hereinafter referred to as “FT synthesis reaction”), with this synthesis gas as a source gas, and further hydrogenating and refining the liquid hydrocarbons to produce liquid fuel products, such as naphtha (raw gasoline), kerosene, gas oil, and wax, has recently been developed.
As a hydrocarbon synthesis reaction system which produces liquid fuels using this GTL technique, as shown in the following Patent Document 1, a configuration including a hydrocarbon synthesis reaction apparatus which synthesizes a hydrocarbon compound by a chemical reaction, such as an FT synthesis reaction, of a synthesis gas and a slurry having solid catalyst particles suspended in a liquid is known. This hydrocarbon synthesis reaction apparatus includes a reactor which contains the slurry, and a synthesis gas introduction part which allows the synthesis gas to be introduced into the reactor. In this hydrocarbon synthesis reaction apparatus, the synthesis gas introduction part is composed of, for example, a steel pipe or the like, and the synthesis gas, which has flowed through the synthesis gas introduction part and has been introduced into the reactor, chemically reacts using the catalyst particles suspended in the slurry in the reactor as a catalyst, whereby liquid hydrocarbons are synthesized.